MLiS – Chapter 9.4

This Is Who I Am

Chen Sha said coldly, “I have no amnesia. Get to the point!”

“Can we get a divorce?”

“Why?” Chen Sha’s expression didn’t change, still as cold and indifferent as usual.

“From the very start, you’re unwilling to marry me. The only reason for our marriage is my genes. For ten years, I have been cooperating with Feng Lin’s research. Even if we get a divorce, I am still a citizen of Odin Federation and will continue to cooperate with Feng Lin’s research.”

“I know the reason why our marriage exists very well. You don’t need to repeat it! I’m asking why?”

“Since both of us are unwilling, it won’t be good for us to continue pretending like this in the long-term…”

“Because of Qian Xu?”

Qian Xu and Chen Sha’s status were very different. Luo Lan didn’t want to involve Qian Xu in this situation. However, confronted by such a sharp Chen Sha, she could only tell him the answer with all the sincerity and frankness she had.

“I did make the decision to divorce in advance because of Qian Xu’s re-examination of myself, but even without Qian Xu, I would have ended our false marriage sooner or later. Neither I nor you are people who will bow down to fate! I believe, ten years ago, when I was thinking about how to get rid of our marriage, you were also thinking about it.” Luo Lan said with self-deprecation, “Back then, didn’t you with your cold face warn me to be self-aware and not to entangle myself with you so that it would be convenient to draw a clear line in our relationship?”

Chen Sha didn’t answer her immediately, rather, he said, “Our marriage is an exchange of interests. Before, our marriage was not my decision; Now, our divorce also can’t be with only my decision.”

Luo Lan’s eyes brightened, filled with determination, “As long as you agree to get a divorce, I will prove to others that I am more than an expensive goods traded for exchange of interests; more than a genetic research object. I deserve to be treated as a real Odin citizen.”

In order to survive, she pretended to be a princess and deceived the entire Odin Federation, but from the very beginning, she didn’t plan to be a fake for a lifetime, let alone be in a fake marriage with Chen Sha for a lifetime.

It’s just that, ten years ago, she wanted to learn some abilities so she could settle down on her own first. After that, she would fly away like the real Princess Luo Lan, leave Odin forever, look for other planets, bury the past and start a new life.

However, ten years later, she, who already had the ability to settle down on her own and obviously had many opportunities to escape quietly, gave up her original plan… Because of the warm Qian Xu, the friendly Feng Lin, and her colleagues who had worked together with her…

She was aware that staying in Odin would be a rocky journey and even life-threatening, but she was unwilling to leave!

That night, with the stars as her witness, she told Qian Xu that she was ready to face those difficulties when she decided to stay in Alikarta.

She had never thought she would have a showdown so early with Chen Sha. Qian Xu’s illness allowed her to see her heart clearly, and Qian Xu’s house allowed her to see her selfishness clearly. No one could predict when Qian Xu will suddenly mutate. She didn’t want to run away just to regret it later when something bad happened.

Chen Sha stared thoughtfully at Luo Lan. The consul’s words sounded in his ears, “I know your original plan, but the princess is a goshawk, not a canary. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the cage you hold her with, you still must seriously consider how to treat the princess well. Especially in this marriage of yours that you have never taken seriously.”

“Okay! I agree to get a divorce!” Chen Sha agreed without showing any emotions on his face.

Luo Lan clenched both her hands and jumped up excitedly, “Thank you, thank you!”

“There is one condition.”

“You say.”

“Accept my special training and improve your physical ability to level A.”

Luo Lan had been waiting for Chen Sha to put forward the conditions with bated breath. She was ready to work hard no matter how tricky and difficult it was, but unexpectedly, Chen Sha’s conditions were in accordance with her wish.

“W…why?”

Chen Sha said coldly, “It’s not enough to only have courage if you want to walk against the wind, you also need the physical ability! In addition, my hearing is so good. I don’t want to hear others talk about how miserable my former wife is wherever I go in the future!”

Just for this reason? Luo Lan stared at Chen Sha blanky. She didn’t know whether he was a blessing or a curse in her life.

Chen Sha turned around and walked up the stairs, “Qian Xu is a mutant. If you want him to accept you, you must guarantee that you won’t be eaten by him!”

————·————·————

Luo Lan took advantage of her lunch break to find Qian Xu in the dormitory.

The robot, Da Xiong, blinked his round eyes and said, “Master is not at home. Please visit later or contact Master directly.”

“May I go inside?”

“What do you mean?” Da Xiong blinked again.

Luo Lan flicked its head through the screen and sent a message to Qian Xu, “Are you at the base? I have something to tell you in person.”

Qian Xu didn’t reply. 

After more than ten minutes of waiting, he appeared directly in front of her.

Luo Lan followed Qian Xu inside. Qian Xu didn’t invite her to sit. Instead, he stood in the deserted living room and asked coldly, “What is it?”

Luo Lan took a step forward; Qian Xu took a step backward. The distance between them was kept.

Mischievous thoughts appeared in Luo Lan’s mind. 

Step by step, she approached Qian Xu.

Step by step, Qian Xu retreated from her.

Until he felt his back touched the wall.

Oh, my! Wasn’t this the rhythm of kabedon^[1]? Luo Lan held back her smile. She continued to walk forward, and “dong!”, slammed her hand onto the wall.

Qian Xu quickly slipped free from the other side and stood behind her.

Luo Lan didn’t bother to hide her disappointment. She turned around and smiled at Qian Xu, “You don’t seem to have any experience with women!”

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll go!” Qian Xu’s face flushed. His eyes were full of annoyance.

Luo Lan didn’t dare to tease him any longer. She restrained her smile and solemnly said, “The commander promised to get a divorce with me.”

“What?” Qian Xu couldn’t hold back his shock and looked at Luo Lan as if she was a madman.

Luo Lan said with a smile, “Our marriage is an exchange of interests. He is unwilling, so am I. What’s more, I’m a fake princess! Right from the start, the commander and I agreed to treat our marriage as a fake marriage, but a fake marriage won’t be able to last for a lifetime. That’s why, I proposed a divorce yesterday, and he agreed.”

Qian Xu’s emotions fluctuated. The expressions in his eyes became complicated. For ten years, he thought he knew her well enough, yet she was still able to continue surprising him at every turn!

“For you.” Luo Lan spread out her palm. On her palm, lay a thumb-sized translucent crystal stone, “A small gift.”

Qian Xu picked it up hesitantly and found that it was an amber^[2], with a blue myth flower wrapped in a crystal-clear brown resin. Under the sunlight, a halo of light appeared around the petals, like a ring left by time.

“If it was a real amber that was naturally shaped and had a complete flower inside it, it would be very valuable, but this one is a fake. I made it myself. I only spent a little money to buy the materials. It’s not even as expensive as a cup of Youlan Youlu^[3].” Luo Lan repeatedly stressed the insignificance of her gift, afraid that Qian Xu would not accept it.

“Why did you give me this?”

“On behalf of my promise to you.” Luo Lan lifted her hand and made a vow. “I promise to improve my physical ability to level A as soon as possible. So if something were to happen in the future, you won’t need to worry about killing me anymore.”

Qian Xu returned the amber to her and said coldly, “We won’t meet anymore in the future. You sent this to the wrong person^[4].”

Luo Lan stretched out her hand, seemingly trying to take back the amber. Instead, she grasped Qian Xu’s hand, “I’m not Princess Luo Lan, and I’m not going to be Madam Commander anymore soon. If I were just Luo Xun, would you be willing to accept this gift^[5]?”

Qian Xu tried to retract his hand, but Luo Lan wouldn’t let it go.

Her fingers were warm while Qian Xu’s fingers were cold. Warm and cold got entangled with each other. None was willing to make a concession. They inadvertently wrestled each other.

With a clinking sound, the amber fell to the ground.

Luo Lan held her own hand, her face pained like she has been wronged.

Instinctively, Qian Xu wanted to ask her where it hurt, but immediately restrained himself, “The commander is powerful, young, and promising. He will be a very good husband. If you try to get along with him, you will discover…”

Luo Lan crisply interrupted Qian Xu’s long-winded words, “I don’t like him, the person that I like is you and only you!”

Qian Xu was astonished.

In the current world, with the increasingly lower marriage rate, dating is very common, but courtship is very rare, especially in Odin Federation. There was war pressure on the outside and genetic disease on the inside. Neither men nor women were willing to commit to each other for a lifetime; Neither men nor women were willing to promise their future to another person. They just wanted to pursue the joy of the present.

“Qian Xu, I only like you!” Luo Lan saw that Qian Xu had no response and summoned up the courage to express it again.

Qian Xu’s emotions fluctuated once again. In the end, his myriad of thoughts couldn’t be hidden anymore and turned into helpless sorrow, “I’m just a useless person without a future. I’m not worthy of you!”

“Whether you’re worthy or not, I know for myself.” Luo Lan picked up the amber on the ground and handed it to Qian Xu once more. “Just answer me. If I were just Luo Xun, would you be willing to accept this amber?”

“Not willing!” Qian Xu didn’t mince his words, determined to cut off their relationship.

Luo Lan held back the tears that could fall at any moment right now, “Liar! If you don’t like me, why don’t you report my deception as a fake princess? Why are you still protecting me even when you know I have committed a crime?”

“It was merely because I am still a friend of yours! I can’t bear to watch you die!”

“I don’t believe it one bit!” Luo Lan wasn’t one to give up, so she just put the amber on the table. “I’ll come back for you when my physical ability reaches level A and I am already divorced from the commander.”

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Footnotes

1. 要壁咚 –  yào bì dōng; lit. wall “dong”. Kabedon, ah. Kabe is “wall”, don is the sound of the hand slamming onto the wall. In this case, yào bì is “wall”, dong is the sound of the hand slamming into the wall. Though, I’m sure most of you are more familiar with kabedon. You can see the image of kabedon in Attachment below, Luo Lan’s kabedon is the number 1.↵

2. 琥珀 – hǔ pò; lit. Amber. Amber is formed from resin exuded from tree bark. Luo Lan’s one wasn’t a real amber, it was made from a crystal-clear brown resin. It isn’t said what shape the amber is in this chapter, but in later chapters it is said to be a heart-shaped amber with a blue myth flower inside it. You can see the image of heart-shaped amber in Attachment below. As for the blue myth flower… well… ↵

3. 幽蓝幽绿 – yōulán yōulǜ; lit. Deep Blue and Deep Green. In case you forgot, Youlan Youlu is a sedating drink for those with level A physical ability.↵

4. 对象 – duì xiàng; target; object; boyfriend; girlfriend. The complete sentence is “你送错对象了” which directly translated as “you sent this to the wrong target.” Yet, it could also mean “I’m unwilling to accept this, I’m not (and will not be) your boyfriend, you sent this wrong.” or “We’re not a thing.” Basically a rejection.↵

5. Could also mean “Would you be willing to accept my confession?” The gift represents her promise to be together with Qian Xu. Qian Xu rejected her gift (confession) now, so she offered him to accept this gift (confession) later.↵

Attachments

Amoeba’s Corner
Me: This chapter pained me, ah. 
Also me: Failed Kabedon lolololol!!

This chapter is full of what you call shooting yourself on your own foot. Be careful of what comes out of your mouth.

The deleted passage from chapter 8.2 + additional passage is here!
In order to survive, she pretended to be a princess and deceived the entire Odin Federation, but from the very beginning, she didn’t plan to be a fake for a lifetime, let alone be in a fake marriage with Chen Sha for a lifetime.

It’s just that, ten years ago, she wanted to learn some abilities so she could settle down on her own first. After that, she would fly away like the real Princess Luo Lan, leave Odin forever, look for other planets, bury the past and start a new life.

However, ten years later, with the ability to settle down, she, who already had the ability to settle down on her own and obviously had many opportunities to escape quietly, gave up her original plan… Because of the warm Qian Xu, the friendly Feng Lin, and her colleagues who had worked together with her…

She was aware that staying in Odin would be a rocky journey and even life-threatening, but she was unwilling to leave!

That night, with the stars as her witness, she told Qian Xu that she was ready to face those difficulties when she decided to stay in Alikarta.

She had never thought she would have a showdown so early with Chen Sha…

In the online novel version
In order to survive, she pretended to be a princess and deceived the entire Odin Federation, but from the very beginning, she didn’t plan to be a fake for a lifetime, let alone be in a fake marriage with Chen Sha for a lifetime.

She had never thought she would have a showdown so early with Chen Sha…

“The stars as their witness”

See you next update!

This chapter words count (excluding title, footnotes, and TL’s corner): 1934